Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

chrispoole · 2010-10-05 11:37:43

I have a laptop which goes from a connection with a http proxy to one without, so I have to change it constantly.

I can write a script with the line

export http_proxy='example.com:8080'

But it doesn't work across all sessions.

I use screen, with 5 or so zsh session 'tabs'.

Is there a way to have the variable set on a parent process to cascade down to child processes, or otherwise set it once, globally? (Ideally in a script that I can set to run automatically.)

Thanks guys.

(What I think I want is a global environment variable.)

karol · 2010-10-05 11:50:16

If you put it in .zshrc, you have to source it in all the active zsh sessions.

Last edited by karol (2010-10-05 11:51:12)

chrispoole · 2010-10-05 11:57:59

If you put it in .zshrc, you have to source it in all the active zsh sessions.

True, but I change my proxy settings far more than I start sessions; I'd still have to enter

source ~/.zshrc

in each zsh session...

karol · 2010-10-05 12:59:48

IIRC each shell instance has it's own execution environment set when you start that shell instance. You can

alias zz="source ~/.zshrc"

to make it quicker.

chrispoole · 2010-10-05 13:06:44

karol wrote:

IIRC each shell instance has it's own execution environment set when you start that shell instance. You can
alias zz="source ~/.zshrc"
to make it quicker.

That also works, but is there any way to script that?

(Sorry to be a pain, but surely there's a way to do this, to set this environment variable for all sessions at once.)

karol · 2010-10-05 13:11:04

You can set environmental variable, but are you sure your shell will be aware of that? Try it out and see for yourself.
If you set it and start a new session, this will work but I don't know how to "update" the current ones.

dakt · 2010-10-05 22:44:14

You can make an infinitive loop inside .zshrc which will setup env. var. like $http_proxy, every second. So once you edit it in one term. session it will be set up across all of them.

sand_man · 2010-10-06 02:20:22

Changing an environment variable will only be noticed by child processes. Changing the variable in one shell instance will not reflect in another.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-10-05 11:37:43

Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

#2 2010-10-05 11:50:16

Re: Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

#3 2010-10-05 11:57:59

Re: Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

#4 2010-10-05 12:59:48

Re: Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

#5 2010-10-05 13:06:44

Re: Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

#6 2010-10-05 13:11:04

Re: Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

#7 2010-10-05 22:44:14

Re: Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

#8 2010-10-06 02:20:22

Re: Change http_proxy variable across all zsh sessions?

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